If you are a Small Business customer, find additional troubleshooting and learning resources at the Support for Small Business site.

This article provides steps to use together with the steps in the "Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Domain Rename" document to rename your domain. The steps in this Microsoft Knowledge Base article are not intended to stand alone. They are intended only as a supplement to the procedures in the "Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Domain Rename" document. Before you rename your domain, you must have this article and the "Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Domain Rename" document. See the References section.

The XDR-fixup.exe file is the Exchange Domain Rename Fixup tool for Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 . You use the Exchange Domain Rename Fixup tool together with the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 domain rename tools when you rename a domain that contains Exchange Server 2003 computers.

The Windows Server 2003 domain rename tools were originally designed to rename domains in the Active Directory directory service forests that do not contain Exchange Server computers. This limitation occurred because renaming a domain affects a number of Exchange attributes and there was no method to repair these Exchange attributes. Because of this, the domain rename operation is not supported in forests that contain Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 computers or Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server computers.

This article describes how to use the Exchange Domain Rename
Fixup tool together with the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 domain rename tools.
The file name of the Exchange Domain Rename Fixup tool is
XDR-fixup.exe.

Documents and tools that you must have to rename the domain

To perform a domain rename operation in a forest that contains
Exchange Server 2003, you must have the following documents and the following
tools:

The Windows Server 2003 domain rename tools and the
document that is named Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Domain Rename. To download these tools and this document, visit the following
Microsoft Web site:

This Microsoft Knowledge Base article. The information that
is in this article supplements the procedures that are described in the Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Domain Rename document. This article contains the steps that are specific to
Exchange Server; these steps are named "Exchange-specific steps" in this
article.

The Exchange Domain Rename Fixup tool.
The following
file is available for download from the Microsoft Download
Center:XDR-Fixup.exe. To download this tool, visit the
following Microsoft Web site:

Microsoft scanned this file for viruses. Microsoft used the most
current virus-detection software that was available on the date that the file
was posted. The file is stored on security-enhanced servers that help to
prevent any unauthorized changes to the file.

We recommend that you read both the Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Domain Rename document and this Microsoft Knowledge Base article before you
rename your domain. When you are ready to perform the domain rename operation,
start with the procedures that are described in the Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Domain Rename document, and then supplement those procedures with the Exchange
Domain Rename Fixup tool procedures that are described in this
article.

What the Exchange Domain Rename Fixup tool does

The Exchange Domain Rename Fixup tool modifies the Exchange
attributes in Active Directory to reflect the new domain name that you
configure. To perform a domain rename operation, you must run the Exchange
Domain Rename Fixup tool as an additional, required step. The Exchange Domain
Rename Fixup tool does not replace the Windows Server 2003 domain rename tools.
Additionally, the Exchange Domain Rename Fixup tool does not extend the
functionality of the Windows Server 2003 domain rename tools. You must run
Exchange Domain Rename Fixup tool every time that you run the Windows Server
2003 domain rename tool Rendom.exe.

What the Exchange Domain Rename Fixup tool does not do

There are some changes that are not made to your Exchange
organization when you use the Exchange Domain Rename Fixup tool. The Exchange
Domain Rename Fixup tool does not do the following.

Does not rename your e-mail domain

The Exchange Domain Rename Fixup tool and the Windows Server 2003
domain rename tools do not modify the e-mail domains that are specified in your
Exchange recipient policies or that are specified in the user account
properties in Active Directory. If you want to modify your e-mail domains, you
must do this after the domain rename operation is completed.
For additional information, click the
following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Does not rename your Exchange organization

Does not merge your Exchange organizations

You cannot use the Exchange Domain Rename Fixup tool or the
Windows Server 2003 domain rename tools to merge two Exchange organizations
that are in different Active Directory forests into a single Exchange
organization.

Prerequisites to rename your domain

Before you use the Windows Server 2003 domain rename tools and
the Exchange Domain Rename Fixup tool, the following requirements must be met:

All domain controllers must be running Windows Server
2003. Additionally, Active Directory must be at the Windows Server 2003 forest
functional level. For more information about forest functional levels, see the
Windows domain rename tools documentation and the Windows Server 2003
documentation. To view the current functional levels in Windows, follow these
steps:

Start the Active Directory Domains and Trusts tool. To
do this, click Start, point to Administrative
Tools, and then click Active Directory Domains and
Trusts.

Right-click your domain container, and then click
Properties.

View the information that appears on the
General tab.

If the forest functional level is not set to Windows
Server 2003, you must raise the forest functional level.

Note You cannot raise the forest functional level until your domains
are running the Windows Server 2003 domain functional level.
For additional information, click the following article number to view the
article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

How to raise domain and forest functional levels in Windows Server 2003

All Exchange Server computers in the organization must be
running Exchange Server 2003. You can use the domain rename tools and the
Exchange Domain Rename Fixup tool with Exchange Server 2003 only.

Important The Rendom.exe tool and the XDR-fixup.exe tools are not supported
in Exchange 2000 Server or in Exchange Server 5.5. If the Rendom.exe tool
detects Exchange 2000 Server computers, the domain rename operation does not
continue. However, the Rendom.exe tool does not detect whether Exchange Server
5.5 computers exist. Therefore, do not rename your domain if a domain contains
Exchange Server 5.5 computers. Additionally, if Site Replication Service (SRS)
is running in the forest, you must remove SRS before you start the domain
rename operation.
For additional information, click the following article
numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

The Change Mode button is unavailable in the Organization Properties dialog box after you upgrade Exchange Server 5.5 Service Pack 3 to Exchange 2000 Server or to Exchange Server 2003

To use the domain rename operation, Exchange Server must
not be installed on any domain controllers. If a domain controller is running
Exchange Server, you must move the Exchange data from the domain controller,
and then remove Exchange Server.

To perform the domain rename procedure, the account that
you use must have Enterprise Admins user rights. The account that you use must
also have Exchange Full Administrator permissions.

Preparing for the domain rename

The following is a list of tasks that you should perform
before you rename the domain:

Create any necessary shortcut trusts and document all
trusts.

Prepare DNS zones.

Make any Distributed File System (DFS) changes.

Prepare member computers.

Prepare Certification Authorities.

The XDR-fixup.exe command options

Complete instructions about how to use the XDR-fixup.exe
command-line tool as part of the domain rename operation are included in the
"Use XDR-fixup.exe together with the domain
rename tools" section of this article. The usage of the
XDR-fixup.exe command-line tool is as follows.

Command-line usage to verify XDR-fixup.exe

Use the following command line to verify the changes that are
made by XDR-fixup.exe:

XDR-fixup /verify:restorescript.ldf /changes:verifycorrections.ldf

The following table describes the options that you
can use with the XDR-fixup.exe command:

Collapse this tableExpand this table

Option
parameter

Description

/s:
start_domainlist.xml

This option specifies
the starting topology configuration. The
start-domainlist.xml file is the first file that is
created by using the Rendom.exe /list command.

/e:
end_domainlist.xml

This option specifies the
ending topology configuration. The
end_domainlist.xml file is the modified version of
the domainlist.xml file that you use in the Rendom/upload command.

/user:username

This option
specifies the user account that you use to connect to the domain. Use either
the UNC format, such as
DOMAIN\username, or use
the UPN format, such as
username@domain.com.
If you do not specify this option, the XDR-fixup.exe command connects as the
user who is currently logged on.

/pwd:password

This option
specifies the password for the user account that you specify by using the /user:username option. If you specify an asterisk * with the /pwd option, the XDR-fixup.exe tool prompts you for the correct
password.

This
option generates the required changes script in the
changescript.ldf as LDIF commands. These commands
are based on data from the XML input files.

/restore:restorescript.ldf

This
option generates a script of required changes to the
restorescript.ldf as LDIF commands that are based on
data in the XML input files. The file name that you specify should also be used
in the verification procedure.

/verify:restorescript.ldf

This
option is used in the verification procedure to verify the
restorescript.ldf file that was created during the
XDR-fixup operation.

/changes:verifycorrections.ldf

This
option generates a script of required changes in
verifycorrections.ldf during the verification
procedure. These are additional changes that must be made to Active
Directory.

Use XDR-fixup.exe together with the domain rename tools

To perform a domain rename operation, follow the steps in the
"Steps to Perform the Domain Rename Procedure" section and the steps in the
"After the Domain Rename Procedure" section in the Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Domain Rename document together with the supplementary steps that are described
in this section of this article. This section of this article lists the steps
from the Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Domain Rename together with the new steps that you must perform to support
Exchange Server in the renamed domain. The steps from the Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Domain Rename document are listed by the original step number and title from
that document. The new steps that you must perform to support Exchange Server
appear in this article at the location where you must perform each particular
step. Additionally, the new steps in this article that you must perform to
support Exchange Server in your renamed domain use the term "New
Exchange-specific step" in the title. These new Exchange-specific steps include
all the following:

Two preparation steps that you must perform before you
rename the domain.

Two additional steps that you must perform during the
domain rename operation.

Three additional steps that you must perform after the
domain rename operation is completed.

To rename your domain, perform these Exchange-specific steps
together with the domain rename tools steps in the following order.

New Exchange-specific step A: Remove Exchange from domain controllers

If any domain controllers are running Exchange Server, you must
move all the Exchange data from these domain controllers, and then remove
Exchange Server before you continue with the domain rename operation. To do
this, we recommend that you migrate the Exchange data to another Exchange
Server computer, and then remove Exchange Server from the domain controller.

Note It is not sufficient to demote the particular domain controller
to the role of member server. You must remove Exchange Server from the
particular computer.

For additional support information for Exchange
Server 2003, see the Exchange Server 2003 Technical Document Library at the
following Microsoft Web site:

Because Exchange-related services may be unavailable during the
domain rename process, stop all Exchange Server administration operations
before you rename the domain. If you have made any Exchange Server
configuration changes, wait until those changes are replicated throughout the
domain before you start the domain rename operation. During the domain rename
operation, do not create, remove, rename, or migrate any
mailboxes.

After the domain rename operation is completed, and after
you have successfully verified the Exchange Server rename operation, you can
resume all Exchange Server administrative activities.

Step 1: Back up all domain controllers

Follow the instructions in "STEP 1: Back Up All Domain
Controllers" of the Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Domain Rename document.

Step 2: Set up the control station

Follow the instructions in "STEP 2: Set Up the Control Station" of
the Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Domain Rename document.

Step 3: Generate the current forest description

Generate the current forest description by using the Rendom.exe /list command. To do this, follow the instructions in "STEP 3: Generate
the Current Forest Description" of the Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Domain Rename document.

Step 4: Specify the new forest description

Specify the new forest description for your organization. To do
this, follow the instructions in "STEP 4: Specify the New Forest Description"
of the Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Domain Rename document.

Step 5: Generate domain rename instructions

Generate the domain rename instructions by using the Rendom.exe /upload command. To do this, follow the instructions in "STEP 5: Generate
Domain Rename Instructions" of the Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Domain Rename document.

Follow the instructions in "STEP 6: Push Domain Rename
Instructions to All DCs and Verify DNS Readiness" of the Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Domain Rename document.

Step 7: Verify the readiness of domain controllers

Verify the state of your domain controllers by using the Rendom.exe /prepare command. To do this, follow the instructions in "STEP 7: Verify
Readiness of Domain Controllers" of the Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Domain Rename document.

Step 8: Run the domain rename instructions

Run the domain rename instructions by using the Rendom.exe /execute command. To do this, follow the instructions in "STEP 8: Execute
Domain Rename Instructions" of the Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Domain Rename document.

Run the XDR-fixup command to update the Exchange Server
configuration. In Step 8 of the domain rename procedure, you execute the domain
rename instructions on every domain controller in the forest. To execute the
domain rename instruction script, the control station computer issues a remote
procedure call (RPC) to each domain controller in the forest. This RPC causes
each domain controller to run the domain rename instructions, and to then
restart automatically. After all the domain controllers have restarted, run the
XDR-fixup.exe tool to update your Exchange Server configuration.

Prerequisites

All the procedures from "Step 8: Run the domain rename
instructions," including the restarting of every one of the domain controllers
in the renamed domain, must be completed before you perform this step.

Required authorization level

To complete this step, you must have Exchange Full
Administrator permissions.

Actions

To run the XDR-fixup tool, follow these steps:

Wait for all the domain controllers to restart and for
domain controller replication to complete throughout the renamed domain.

On the control station computer where the XDR-fixup tool is
installed, click Start, point to All
Programs, point to Microsoft Exchange, point to
Exchange Domain Rename Tool, and then click Exchange
Domain Rename Tool.

At the command prompt, type the following command, and then
press ENTER:

For example, if you configured the XML files by using the default
names that are specified in the Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Domain Rename document, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

Note You have to run this step only one time in the forest, and not
one time for each Exchange Server computer.

After the XDR-fixup command has completed successfully,
log off the control station computer, and then log back on.

Note The original domain may appear in the Log on to
list when you log on the computer. In this scenario, click the newly renamed
domain name in the Log on to list when you log on. When you
open the Log on to list, the original domain name no longer
appears.

Click Start, point to All
Programs, point to Microsoft Exchange, point to
Exchange Domain Rename Tool, and then click Exchange
Domain Rename Tool.

At the command prompt, type the following command, and then
press ENTER:

LDIFDE –i –f changescript.ldf

On every server cluster in the renamed domain, run the
following command:

Cluster /priv MSExchange_Domain=DNS_Name_of_renamed_domain

On every cluster node computer, reset the logon account for
the Cluster Service. To do this:

Click Start, click
Run, type services.msc in the
Open box, and then click OK.

Double-click Cluster Service, and then
click the Log On tab.

Under Log on as, type the user account
by using the UNC format that references the new renamed domain. For example, in
the This account box, type the Cluster Service user account in
the following format:

RenamedDomain\Clusteraccountname

For additional information, click the following article
number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

How to troubleshoot the Cluster service account when it modifies computer objects

New Exchange-specific step D: Restart all Exchange Server computers

Prerequisites

All the procedures from "New Exchange-specific step C:
Update the Exchange Server configuration" must be completed before you perform
this step.

Required authorization level

To complete this step, you must have Exchange Full
Administrator permissions.

Actions

Restart every one of the following computers two times:

Exchange Server computers.

Computers that are running Exchange System
Manager.

You must restart each one of these computers two times. This is
required to completely flush the original domain name information from server
caches and to enable the Exchange-related services to start by using the new,
renamed domain name.

Note The "Restart Member Computers" topic in the Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Domain Rename document instructs you to restart every member server computer
two times. However, because you have already restarted every one of the
Exchange Server computers and every one of the computers that are running
Exchange System Manager two times, you do not have to restart them an
additional two times when you follow the instructions in the "Restart Member
Computers" topic in the Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Domain Rename document.

Step 9: Allow modifications to the forest configuration

Allow modifications to the forest by using the instructions in
"STEP 9: Unfreeze the Forest Configuration" of the Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Domain Rename document.

Step 11: Repair the Distributed File System topology

Step 12: Repair Group Policy objects and links

Follow the instructions in "STEP 12: Fix Group Policy Objects and
Links" of the Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Domain Rename document.

After the domain rename procedure is completed

The "After the Domain Rename Procedure" topic in the Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Domain Rename document lists certain verification steps and tasks that you must
perform to make sure that the domain rename operation completed successfully.
You must perform three additional Exchange-related steps to verify your
Exchange Server installation after the domain rename procedure is completed.
The following list displays the sub-topic headings from the "After the Domain
Rename Procedure" topic in the Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Domain Rename document together with the additional Exchange-specific steps
that you must perform. These steps are listed in the order that you must
perform them:

Verify certificate security after domain rename

Miscellaneous tasks

Back up domain controllers

Restart member computers

New Exchange-specific step E: Verify Exchange Server rename operation

After the member computers are restarted, and after
replication has completed throughout the domain, identify the Exchange Server
computers that did not have their primary DNS suffix settings updated by the
domain rename process. By default, domain members have their primary DNS suffix
automatically updated when their domain membership changes. However, certain
computers may be configured so that the primary DNS suffix does not
automatically change when their domain membership changes or when their domain
name changes. For additional information about these configuration settings,
see the "How to Determine the Primary DNS Suffix Configuration" topic in the Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Domain Rename document. This step verifies that the Exchange Server computers
in your domain have a dynamically-configured primary DNS suffix. To verify the
Exchange Server rename and complete the follow-up steps, follow these steps:

Click Start, point to All
Programs, point to Microsoft Exchange, point to
Exchange Domain Rename Tool, and then click Exchange
Domain Rename Tool.

Type the following command, and then press ENTER:

XDR-fixup /verify:restorescript.ldf /changes:verifycorrections.ldf

Note This step identifies Exchange Server computers that were not
renamed after the domain rename procedure. You have to perform this step only
one time in the forest, and not one time for each Exchange Server
computer.

If the XDR-fixup tool returns results to indicate that
one or more Exchange Server computers have a primary DNS suffix that is not
automatically updated when the domain membership changes, use one of the
following methods:

If you want the Exchange Server computers to remain
configured so that they do not automatically change their primary DNS suffix
settings when their domain membership changes, type the following command, and
then press ENTER:

ldifde -i -f verifycorrections.ldf

If you want the Exchange Server computer to
automatically update the primary DNS suffix when their domain membership
changes, follow these steps:

Restart the computer two times, and then allow
sufficient time for all replication to complete. After the computer has
restarted two times, and after replication has completed, run the XDR-fixup command from Step 1 again. When you run this command again,
ignore the LDF file that the command created previously.

Note If the XDR-fixup tool indicates that the Exchange Server computer
has a static primary DNS suffix assigned, but the Change primary DNS
suffix when domain membership changes check box is selected in the
DNS Suffix and NetBIOS Computer Name dialog box, make sure
that this computer was restarted two times after the Rendom /execute command was run to rename the domain, and that sufficient time
has passed to allow replication to complete.

On every RPC over HTTP proxy server, rename the
computers that are specified in the ValidPorts registry entry. To do this:

Click Start, click
Run, type regedit in the
Open box, and then click OK.
Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

In the Value data box, modify the
computer entries to reflect the new renamed domain, and then click
OK.

New Exchange-specific step F: Update the Active Directory Connector

If applicable, update the Active Directory Connector (ADC) in your
organization. You can rename a domain where ADC is installed if ADC is used to
connect two organizations. Because the domain rename operation is not supported
when a forest contains Exchange Server 5.5 computers or Site Replication
Service, you cannot rename a domain where ADC is used to connect Exchange
Server 5.5 to Exchange Server 2003. If you run ADC with an inter-organizational
connection agreement, you must update the trusts and logon accounts that are
used by the inter-organizational connection agreement after you rename the
domain. To do this:

Remove existing trusts to the domain where the Exchange
organization is located, and then create new trusts that reflect the new
renamed domain.

Update the ADC service account to reflect the new
domain, and then restart the Active Directory Connector Service. To do this:

On the computer where ADC is installed, click
Start, click Run, type
services.msc in the Open box, and then
click OK.

Double-click Microsoft Active Directory
Connector, and then click the Log On tab.

Under Log on as, modify the
service account by using the UNC format that references the new renamed
domain.

For example, in the This account box, type
the service account in the following format:

For every inter-organizational connection agreement,
update the Active Directory account information. To do this:

On the computer where ADC is installed, click
Start, point to All Programs, point to
Microsoft Exchange, and then click Active Directory
Connector.

Click Active Directory Connector
(Servername).

In the right pane, right-click an
inter-organizational connection agreement, and then click
Properties.

Click the Connections tab, and
then click Modify under Windows Server
information.

In the Connect as box, type the
account credentials in the UNC format that reflects the new renamed domain. For
example, in the Connect as box, type the account credentials
in the following format:

RenamedDomain\AccountName

Type the account password in the
Password box, and then click OK two
times.

For every connection agreement, update both the source
computer container(s) and the destination computer container(s). To do this:

On the computer where ADC is installed, click
Start, point to All Programs, point to
Microsoft Exchange, and then click Active Directory
Connector.

Click Active Directory Connector
(Servername).

In the right pane, right-click a connection
agreement, and then click Properties.

If the replication direction includes the
From Windows to Exchange direction, click the From
Windows tab, and make a note of the organizational units that appear
in the Windows Organizational Units list. Click
Remove to remove each organizational unit. Click
Add to add each of the organizational units that you want to
use from the new renamed domain. Click OK to close the
properties of the inter-organizational connection agreement.

If the replication direction includes the
From Exchange to Windows direction, click the From
Exchange tab , click Modify, click the organizational
unit that you want to use from the new renamed domain, and then click
OK two times.

Attribute clean-up after domain rename (Rendom.exe
/clean). Before you perform this procedure, review the prerequisites
found in the "Attribute Clean-up After Domain Rename" section in the Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Domain Rename document.

If you rename your domain controllers as described in the "Rename
Domain Controllers (Optional)" topic in the Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Domain Rename document, follow these steps:

Modify the Recipient Update Service to connect to the
newly renamed domain controller to update objects in Active Directory.
For additional information, click the following
article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

If any domain controllers are statically assigned as
directory service (DSAccess) servers, repair the registry keys that specify
these DSAccess domain controllers.
For additional information, click the following
article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

If e-mail messages remain in the message queues on one
or more of your Exchange Server computers and appear to be "stuck" on those
computers, restart the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) service on those
affected computers. To restart the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)
service:

Click Start, click
Run, type services.msc in the
Open box, and then click OK.

Errors and event logs

During the domain rename process, all domain controllers in a
forest are restarted. If Exchange Server computers are running during this
time, one or more of the following events may be logged. You can ignore these
error events.

Event source: DSAccessEvent IDs: 2102, 2103, and
2104

Event source: MSExchangeALEvent IDs: 8206 and
8260

Event source: MSExchangeSAEvent IDs: 9154 and
9188

Typically, you should be concerned only with event log errors
that appear after the whole domain rename process has been
completed.

Additionally, the trace file that is generated when you run
the XDR-fixup command may contain additional information to help you
troubleshoot an error condition. Typically, these errors include misspelled or
incorrect user credentials. In this scenario, log off the computer, and then
log back on the computer before you run the XDR-fixup command. Additionally,
run the XDR-fixup command soon after you run the domain rename tools. Do not
allow a long time to pass between the time that you run the domain rename tools
and the time that you run the XDR-fixup.exe tool.